By The Trials Of Night
by SapphireNight
Summary: SEQUEL TO 'BY THE FIRES OF CAMELOT'. Fire had engulfed the night sky. Great tendrils of flame arching up to captivate the moment, illuminating the moonless courtyard in the glow of hell's wrath. Only two guards had been there to witness it, and as a body fell out of the flames, they were the only two to rush to its side. A blackened, scorched body reeking of pain.
1. APPENDIX

**APPENDIX**

**THIS STORY IS VERY SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED AS THE CONCLUSION OF A TWO-PART NARRATIVE.** If you've not read 'By The Fires Of Camelot', I'd urge you to at least read the first chapter and the very last (and anything else in between that takes your fancy!) in order to fully follow this. Fully reading this introductory chapter WILL GIVE YOU SPOILERS.

This first chapter is an informative, non-prose chapter, giving additional information/reference material which you may find useful. Please don't skip it, just for the sake of it being an AN*.

* * *

I thought it might be helpful if I explained in detail the sequence of events which occurs just before and throughout 'By The Fires of Camelot'. You may not remember all of these things, most of these were only touched upon in chapters, yet you may find knowing the sequence of events useful for this story.

**Backstory**: A fatal sickness has been sweeping the land, specifically attacking those in a position of authority, who's loss would cripple Camelot. When Uther falls victim, he sends his son away to preserve the Pendragon line. And Merlin stays behind to help Gaius with the cure. Which, as the King succumbs to the last fateful stages of the disease, could only be magical in nature.

**Timeline **

**Day Zero** - Evening/Night, Merlin cures Uther. Uther in turn arrests him.

**Day One** - Exhausted by the effects of the sickness bringing him to the brink of death, Uther rests/recuperates in bed. His advisers persuade him not to sentence Merlin until he has regained full use of his mental faculties, a residual fever still clouding his mind. Merlin awaits his fate in the dungeons.

**Day Three** - Uther deems himself healthy enough to pass judgement on Merlin. For the crime of sorcery, he shall burn. But first, feeling deeply betrayed by Merlin's apparent treachery, Merlin is flogged that very night, witnessed by the vindictive King. Exhausted by the trip to the dungeons, Uther sets the execution date for noon, three days' time, when hopefully his body is physically recovered enough to appear before the entire nation.

**Day Four** - Waiting in the dungeons, Merlin is brought his evening meal by one of the guards- who was involved in the previous day's punishment. Magic acting on instinct and fear, he is thrown against the wall and unintentionally knocked unconscious. That is the last time the guards bring Merlin food.

**Day Six** - At noon, the people are gathered in the Citadel courtyard to witness the execution of Merlin. All bar Arthur, who returns to Camelot just in time to witness his manservant about to be lit on fire, and calls a halt to proceedings in order to talk to him/ his father.  
Arthur and Merlin talk in the dungeons well into the night, joined later by Gaius.

**Night** Six-Seven - Leon collects Arthur and Gaius from the dungeons, reveals the execution has been rescheduled. They come up with a plan, and hunt out the other survivors of the sickness cured by Merlin well into the night.

**Day Seven** - Morning. Arthur attempts his 'intervention'. He presents a fully and carefully constructed trial, yet Uther determines that this is further evidence of Merlin's power and treachery. He arrests all cured by Merlin, believing himself the one last person in control of clear thought.  
**Night**- an hour after sunset. Merlin is burnt at the stake. Fuelled by magic, the flames rise impossibly high, obscuring him from view.  
_Merlin rasped out hollowed words as the flames sored higher, dances of yellow across his eyes. The people could not tell, were they glowing with that same bright flame or was it just the reflection of death's light in his eyes?_  
After the fires die down, there is nothing remaining.

* * *

Order in which the sickness attacked the kingdom. Not strictly necessary, but I did a hell of a lot of work on just _how_ this 'intelligent' disease nearly destroyed the kingdom. Note: this is not a full list!

**First Wave**:  
Healers, magical and traditional alike.  
Strong peasant social leaders, strategic leaders of the lower town. It start creeping up on the lower town, dispensing of those who lead but are not seen by the noble leaders. It cripples silently.  
Lead Knight- Sir Lion- It also attacks the single highest leader below royal status. Disables without drawing too much attention to itself.  
Minor people from the court/palace.

**Second Wave**:  
Head Cook- provides the court with sustenance.  
Blacksmith- taking away defences for exterior threat. Puts people on edge/defensive.  
Children of nobles- just a few. Plays with human hearts.  
Teachers/supervisors of children- would cause chaos. People are also sensitive when it comes down to children's safety.  
Main food stall/supplier in the lower town.

**Third Wave**:  
Courtiers/advisors - those people who give advise to the highest of the high.  
The King, Uther- starts getting symptoms. It is decided to send Arthur away, as he is naturally the next target.  
(_Crown Prince_)- sent away before disease spread to him.

* * *

*DISCLAIMER: By the rules of , authors note chapters are not permitted. However, this chapter holds an immense amount of information _which you will find useful/necessary_ _for the continued enjoyment of this story_, and therefore, I do not view it as an AN chapter. I am not trying to 'bend the rules'- this information is necessary, even if it is not presented within the context of fictional prose. I honestly do not call these authors notes, they are notes on the story- an appendix. I understand that other views may be different.

The first 'prologue' chapter has been written. I am currently working on perfecting it, but it should be up relatively shortly. Thank you all for your continued support.


	2. Chapter One: Prologue

This has been a VERY long time coming. Thank you, everyone, for your amazing support and dedication.

* * *

The courtyard lay empty and swallowed in shadow. A full week from now, it would be alight with flame. A full week from now, every last available space had been taken by the packed crowed. A full week from now, a man had died.

But a full week from now _isn't_ now.

_Now_, the courtyard was deserted.

..oOo..

_I__nside a building, just off the main Central Courtyard._

The Sickness had engulfed him. Majesty and rule dissolving into ruins as his body failed him; sweat and heat blistering and burning away all notion of sense and authority. Purpose.

He was going to die. The king of Camelot was dying. And in his place, he was leaving a boy just fresh out of his twenties. A boy who in Uther's opinion still had yet to fully prove himself. A boy who wasn't even sitting there by his bedside. The son whom the king of Camelot himself has sent away.  
For his own protection. For just a chance at preserving the royal line.

Uther didn't know whether he was even still alive. Whether or not his son had already succumbed to the same sickness that was already killing his father.

Did Camelot even still have an heir, or was Uther departing this world and leaving Camelot to complete ruin, and an empty future? Or had Camelot already succumbed to devastation within Uther's own lifetime?

The raging heat within his bones continued to seep within his very being. Heat was pain; pain was fire; fire was death. The end was coming. Buried in the all-consuming majesty of fire and fever, Uther waited for the end to take him. For the burning fire to finally consume his being.

It was night. Such a beautiful, clear sky. Moonless. He couldn't see it. A sight to behold, the servant kept twaddling. For some reason, the droning, monotonous chatter from the young girl would not leave his mind. Such a beautiful sky out. Such a beautiful night to die. But Uther couldn't even see the stars.

Just blackness. A dark sky already hanging all around him, waiting for him to succumb. All that was left was for him to depart.

Uther patiently in the fires of his memory and worry, he lay swollen in darkness and pain. All that was left was for him to fade away.…

So why wont the end just come?

Lost and lonely, Uther waited.

The heat surrounding Uther's body suddenly began to cool. The fire mellowed, became gentle warmth; the pain dissipated.

Uther opened his clouded eyes. There was the boy standing over him. His arms outstretched across him. Uther's head was still hot and heavy, the after-burn of fever still festering within him, yet he stared back into those once blue eyes.

Eyes that had just faded from glowing amber.

Uther flinched away. The boy, Merlin, flinched back also.

Merlin. His son's manservant.

Merlin. The sorcerer.

The old, worn face of the physician suddenly hovered into Uther's view, relief and joy washing over the thick, heavy lines of worry.

_Why wasn't he doing anything?_

"Your majesty? Your majesty, everything is alright." Gaius murmured, bringing his chilly fingers to the hollow at the side of of Uther's throat.

_Everything is 'all right'?_

"You are in the outer banqueting hall, sire. I had everyone moved in here as my quarters became too small to house all of the sick, and I am far too old to run between nobles and courtiers quarters. I tried to tend to you in your own rooms for as long as possible, but I just didn't have the resources."

_How did he not see him? How did he not see the obvious magic that had flowed through the boy's hands?_

"Sire- sire, please don't move; your fever has only just broken, you are very weak still. You very nearly died; your fever only just broke at the very last moment. You are very lucky, sire- a few minutes longer, and I believe we would have lost you."

Uther looked up at Gaius's relieved face- and yet there was something underlying there, just beneath the warmth of relief. Was it… trepidation?

Gaius smiled again at his king, before turning away from him.

"The king is alive! His majesty is okay; he will survive!" the physician announced to the caverns of the room. There erupted a smattering of applause and hurrahs from the score of inhabitants. In a dozen beds lay other nobles and members of the court; some were sitting up; all were wearing looks of relief or joy; all looked to be more recovered then Uther.

Uther looked across at them in confusion and fear. Why weren't they afraid? Why weren't they reacting; calling for guards, restraining him? Why did no one move in defence? Why was no one reacting to the obvious magic?

Why wasn't he?

"Gua…"

The old physician turned back to him. He brought a mug of water carefully to his lips; Uther gazed at him in indiscernible anger.

"Just take it easy, sire. Your strength will return to you eventually, you do not want to tire yourself unduly."

Tilting his head upwards to reject any more water, Uther cleared his throat, glaring at Gaius.

And then he yelled,

"GUARDS!"

Gaius faltered, an eyebrow arched high in shock. No one moved.

"Sire? You need to rest; you almost died-"

"GUARDS! GUARDS!"

"Sire, please! What is wrong?"

Uther ignored him.

"GUARDS, ARREST THAT BOY!"

..oOo..

A week from now, the great courtyard had been engulfed in flame. It had been engulfed in the fires of destruction and the tide of an angry, changing crowd.

But presently, the courtyard lay empty and swallowed in shadow.

Three men stepped across the space, two soldiers carrying a young man between them who had lost all will to fight. What was the point? They knew; everyone knew that Merlin was a warlock. A full week from now he would be burnt at the stake.

The men dragged the manservant across the courtyard and into one of the main buildings, taking him deep down under the castle to his imprisonment.

The courtyard was deserted once more. Swallowed in darkness. One week from now, that man would burn.

One full week from now, that man would cast powerful magics, hidden within the flames of his destruction. A full week from now, that man would disappear from sight as the flames rose out of the control of their previous masters and bowed to a new one.

A full week from now, a man had _vanished._

.

Bright light flooded the previously moonless area. Fire spontaneously erupted in the courtyard, great tendrils of flame rising out of nowhere into the cold night air a full four metres high; their golden light bathing the courtyard in brilliance and sending tendrils of light dancing across the surrounding building walls. The flames hovered in mid-air; an impossible spectacle rising from a grown man's height above the cobbled stone floor. Nothing supported the flames underneath. Nothing fed them either.

Panicked guards rushed into the courtyard, yet presented with the impossible, they were left to stand powerless in its wake. How does one stop flames spreading, when there is nothing for them to spread to- yet they keep growing? How does one douse a fire, when there is no fuel feeding it to be doused? Nothing alight but the air itself.

The frantic guards were still gathering in dismay, when suddenly the gigantic fire seemed to change. Seemed to darken. Where, moments previously it had burnt white hot in the centre, the innermost section had seemed to cool. Had darkened. A black slip in the centre, about six foot high, and narrow, like the wick of a candle… A dark pulsing flame in the heart of the bright, burning torrent.

As the terrified guards watched on, the dark, cool centre suddenly shaped itself into the countenance of a human figure; sharp features of a silhouette suddenly discernible against the burning edges of light. He hovered, superimposed over the flames for a split moment.

Then, as suddenly as they had arrived, the torrent of fire vanished from existence.

The courtyard was once again black under the moonless sky. Retinas burnt from the vast brightness that had engulfed them, no one could make out anything as their eyes tried to readjust to the darkness that minutes previously they had been able to see through. Features slowly began to re-emerge in front of them; the outlines of the buildings against the bejewelled sky; the texture of the stone work surrounding them, the worn smoothness of the cobbled ground. The… the dark shadow still lingering under where the fire had burned.

Two guards ran to it, whilst the others either stood rooted to the spot or fled- whether returning to their stations, seeking out additional help or absconding, the two men didn't know nor care. They cared that in the wake of such obvious magic, they had seen a man fall. And now that the flames were gone, they needed to investigate the destruction left in its wake. Identify the body.

The two guards ran up to the blackened figure, cautious in the face of obvious magic. The man was a blackened as his silhouette had been, and yet there was detail in the blackness. Soot. Charred flesh. Burnt cloth. Raw skin. Blood. Pain.

One man knelt down to try and study the face, but he could make out nothing discernible behind the soot and charred flesh. He hovered his hand over his face, hesitant to touch him, hesitant to make contact with the destroyed skin.

"What are you doing?"

The older man glanced up.

"Nothing; I don't know. I just thought… I felt-"

The younger man raised his brows expectantly.

"I thought I heard breaths. I'm pretty sure there was air moving against my hand."

The man looked at him as if he were crazy.

"There is no air. There is no breathing; he's burnt to a bloody crisp! There is no possible way he could be alive!"

The first guard brought his hand down to the blackened man's chest.

Soot-blackened lids snapped open. A piercing, endless shriek emitted from the man's stretched-wide mouth as his pearl-grey eyes stared up into the moon-less sky, the slightest traces of golden magic fading from them.

~ Roll Merlin Credits ~


	3. Chapter Two: Numb

"Sire? You need to rest; you almost died-"

"GUARDS! GUARDS!"

"Sire, please! What is wrong?"

Uther ignored him.

"GUARDS, ARREST THAT BOY!"

* * *

Gaius watched on paralysed as his pseudo-son was dragged, nearly carried, bodily out of the hall. The man responsible collapsed back onto the roughly hued bed, spent for energy.

It was over; all the subterfuge, all the teaching and caring and protection, all for nothing. Merlin had been discovered. His life was over. The boy who he had cared for like a son for over three years. And for what? A vindictive king with a grudge? To protect a kingdom which despises the very nature of who he is?

The king was struggling to get out of bed just an arm's distance from where Gaius stood, but Gaius didn't see it. Frozen with shock and the sinking reality of what was happening, he just watched as the king muttered continuously to himself, his brow still hot and wet from fever.

Gaius watched as Uther's lips moved, but he didn't hear him. The words had no meaning. He didn't hear anything.

Gaius felt his dry throat choke out before he realised he had even spoken. Beyond his control, words just tumbled forth of their own accord.

"Sire… Why? Merlin isn't any-"

_Merlin isn't any danger._

Uther spun on him.

"You! You were harbouring a sorcerer! You…"

"Sire, Gaius couldn't possibly have known." Sir Leon interjected. "Merlin is just-"

"No… no; you knew! You knew, he lives with you! He…"

"Sire, Merlin is just a servant boy, no one could possibly-"

From the back of the hall, a male voice piped out indignantly "But, Your Majesty- that boy just—"

"You! You all knew! And you let him use his heathen powers …"

Uther started thrashing about, his eyes wild as Leon tried to calm him before pinning him to the bed with a sturdier arm than Uther could displace. Uther stilled, his sweat-beaded head flopping back onto the damp pillow with a muted _thud_, all energy spent.

"No… no, I…." Uther looked about him, haze-filled eyes glancing around and yet not really seeing.

"I must return to my quarters. I must— I have business to attend to; I must return immediately… Now! I demand to be removed from here!"

Two guards hesitated forward, looking at each other and around for some sort of confirmation as to what to backed off, however, when Leon shook his head at them.

"Sire, you are still unwell. You must remain here so Gaius can care for you with the others. It will only be for a short while."

Leon passed a glance towards Gaius; he knew the timescale was unrealistic. He only needed the king to agree.

Gaius wouldn't return his glance.

Uther, meanwhile, turned on Gaius as if seeing him for the first time.

"You? No… And why would I return to Gaius's care when I know that he is a traitor? When he has been harbouring those who wish to kill me! He harboured _that boy!_ He took a sorcerer into his care; he let a sorcerer into _my _court! Take me back to my quarters! I refuse to be treated here, I must return to my business. That boy is dangerous- I must— " Uther broke off as he looked round the room in alarm. "Now, I must leave now! I demand to be removed from here!"

Leon began barking orders as Uther continued shouting, the guards rushing forward as urgency broke in the knight's voice.

"Men, take the King back to his chambers. Remove him from here immediately; get him out!"

Leon watched as the guards hustled the still-feverish king out of the hall, each holding a corner of the ground sheet like a stretcher, then sighed and turned towards Gaius.

Gaius sunk into a stool, his pained face torturous.

"Do not worry, Gaius. He will realise you couldn't have known. He will come round."

Their eyes met, knowing; an understanding passing between them. Gaius nodded, muttering just, "thanks," not ready to vocalise the real reason for his gratitude.

* * *

Gaius looked down at the sweat-tangled bed the King had just vacated, and the empty spot where until just a few moments previously, Merlin had stood. And he just sat there. Staring. Thinking. Trying to process it.

"Gaius?" Leon muttered.

The physician just stared at him. Merlin, his boy, had just been dragged away. He had been finally found out, and under such circumstances as saving the King's life. Gaius shook his head. Merlin was going to be executed. This was the end of things.

From the back of the hall, a deep, baritone voice bellowed, "What? Did he just… that boy just saved out lives. Surely he cant- Well, of all the injustices… This is _preposterous!_"

There was a spattering of hesitant agreement throughout the hall.

Leon placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Gaius, there is nothing that can be done. We just have to wait until the king is strong enough to see reason."

The old man heaved himself up from the stool he must have collapsed into and pushed past the knight. But he didn't have anywhere to go. He doubled back on himself, facing Leon again, his face even more stricken then before. Leon came up to him arms outstretched.

"There is really nothing you can do at the moment. Uther can not set anything up immediately, there is still time before anything serious is underway- he is just being taken down to a cell for now. There is still time."

Gaius shook his head and spun away from Leon. The knight sighed.

"You must keep strong, but Gaius, the only thing that you can do now is help those who are in need of it. Return to your quarters, and the weaker of us here can visit you there. Magic may not be condone-able, but it appears that Merlin did a good job of healing us. Most of us here should be well enough to leave. Some of us may just need bed rest now, but others may still need your care."

Gaius spun around on Leon.

"But that won't stop Uther, now, will it?"

Leon sighed.

"No. But it's all we can do for now."

The head knight gestured towards a guard as Gaius stormed off down the centre of the room again.

"Take Gaius back to his quarters. Make sure he stays there. I'm sorry, but you need to calm down."

Gaius gave him a look of utmost outrage as two men came up alongside him and ushered him back towards the building's exit.

"I can make sure Uther takes time to cool down. But you need to trust me, Gaius. I'm trying to help you - we need our physician, you cannot lose it now, or we will lose you too."

And with that, Gaius felt everything fade away as he was marched out of the building.


	4. Chapter Three: What The Fire Gave

AN- What do you think of the new summary? Prefer the old one, or is this text quote (from chapter two/three) the way forward?

* * *

Fire had engulfed the night sky. Great tendrils of flame arching up to captivate the moment, illuminating the moonless courtyard in the glow of hell's wrath. Only two guards had been there to witness it, and as a body fell out of the flames, they were the only two to rush to it's side. A blackened, scorched body wreaking of pain.

* * *

As Gaius stepped out into the courtyard, he could tell instantly that something was amiss. Not anything overt, or obvious, and not that it really surprised or alarmed him (it had been a very harrowing past week for the whole city), but just because having worked and lived in the castle for the better part of his extensive life he had developed an almost instinctual sense for picking up when something was wrong. This time, it was two shadowy figures at the other end of the courtyard arguing with each other in raised voices.

Gaius dismissed it. With a Citadel guard at each arm, if they decided it required attention then they could deal with it themselves. And if they were too inexperienced to notice, well, that wasn't any of Gaius's fault. It had been a long enough day as it was, the fewer things to complicate it from here on in, the better.

As he somewhat suspected, the Citadel guards just walked him on, not even pausing to look.

That was, until one of the figures ran up to them. The guards froze, on edge until they recognised it was one of the grounds guards, but they still seemed hesitant.

The man was young, very young, the same age and build as Merlin, possibly younger, Gaius noted. He rushed up to them out of breath, his eyes watering as he tried to speak.

"We need - we need the physician - immediately! Something just happened, and - Great fire! Out of- out of nowhere - and then this - this body just fell to the, the ground! He's badly burnt; he should be - should be dead, but he's - he's still breathing, and-"

Gaius cut him off, immediately moving to follow the boy as he rushed back over to the two shadowy figures hunched on the far side of the courtyard, but a steely hand stopped him. Gaius turned to glare at his chaperon.

"I am a physician. My priorities are first and foremost to those in need of medical care."

The grip didn't loosen. And Gaius took no notice as he moved off following the man, pulling the guard with him with an annoyed, "You can follow me around if you like and then escort me back to my quarters. This man is going to need to be taken there either way."

The guard disgruntledly followed behind him, calling out in a peeved voice,

"You are under house arrest."

Gaius didn't even look behind him as he called out,

"Your orders were to escort me back to my chambers- why? Because that is the infirmary, and where the injured are taken to. That is unless your orders were to escort me to the dungeons and restrain me, of course," Gaius muttered with slight scorn in his tired voice. As he approached the grounds guards, the putrid smells of burnt flesh filled his nostrils. The two men were kneeling around a blackened figure, his chest heaving with unbelievable pain.

"I am still needed in my capacity as physician," Gaius concluded, his voice suddenly low, quiet. "But I am also required to attend to people where they lie. Now, either you follow me or you stay here, but I am attending to my duty and seeing to him."

The guards gave no resistance as Gaius crossed the last few feet towards his patient. Gaius knelt beside the man- his thin frame reminding him painfully of Merlin. He put that thought out of his head - the last thing he needed to be thinking about was that boy when before him was a man who had likely already suffered his destined fate. He didn't need to think about anyone writhing in the flames just yet.

Gaius lightly trailed a hand lightly across one of the burns. There was absolutely no light provided by the black sky, and all he could make out was the fact the man had been severely burnt. Gaius was amazed he should actually still be living, but by the faint light he couldn't properly assess from the injuries whether he had survived by a miracle, or whether he was just lucky enough to look far worse then he actually was. Gaius just couldn't see. And torchlight was only going to help him out so far.

Gaius looked at him for all of two seconds before turning to the four assembled guards.

"You," he called at the buy who had fetched him, "Run to my quarters and bring the stretcher that's sitting by the door. We need to get him inside now. And I need a torch… There is nothing I can do here."

All four guards looked at each other for several moments; some sort of mental contest of wills going on between them until the same, timid messenger boy ran off, suddenly looking very young and vulnerable in Gaius's eyes. The physician gave the two older citadel guards a dark glance before turning back towards his patient.

"He will need assistance with that." The physician declared casually.

"We're not leaving your side."

Gaius sighed, his fingers prising the blackened man's mouth open to glance down it.

"The stretcher is for you to transport him back to my quarters where I can actually work on him, therefore completing your orders. That boy can't carry the thing on his own; the faster you bring it here, the faster you can escort me back." Gaius said pointedly, as if talking to simpletons.

Grudgingly, one of the men got up off his knees to give chase after the other guard. When the other didn't move, Gaius cleared his throat pointedly and fixed him with a hard stare, jutting his head sideways to run after his partner towards the nearest building. He didn't need telling twice.

The torchbearer returned first, and as the first swell of light loomed over them, Gaius felt the bottom fall out of his stomach. Whilst he had been able to tell from starlight the damage was bad, cast under the light of the flame, he began to see just the full extent of it.

The physician breathed out a shaky sigh, taking a moment to savour the fresh air before turning back to continue inspecting the burnt eyes felt so achingly familiar. But no, Gaius could not think like that. He couldn't think about all the ways every inspection made him appear more and more like his adoptive son who had just been arrested for sorcery. He finally stopped with a resentful sigh, giving in to the lack of good light and the utter _guilt_ he felt at each of the victim's whimpers.

The men returned with the stretcher a couple of minutes later, resting it on the floor beside Gaius. And then the realisation dawned that they would have to physically place the burnt man onto it. They would have to grip that flesh and _lift _him, when mere touches had caused him agony.

Gaius was coolly detached as he directed the men into position.

The man let out an ungodly scream as they lifted him. The youngest, twitchiest guard started shaking, tears silently streaming down his face as they carefully handled him onto the toughened fabric and slowly began to raise the stretcher. On Gaius's command, they moved the whimpering body though the blackened corridors of the night and into Gaius's rooms.

They placed the man down on the small cot, still laid out on the stretcher. Gaius carefully opened the man's mouth and checked his airway now in the better light, for significant damage there was liable to kill him fastest of all if unattended to. Gaius breathed out a sigh of relief that he hadn't inhaled the fiery heat.

Turning away from the body again, he was disappointed to find three of the guards had remained. The older of the grounds guards had left immediately, but the other, the younger of the two was standing just off to the side, his eyes riveted to the burnt man as tears flowed unbidden down his cheeks.

Gaius smiled, his features slightly strained.

"Do you know him?" Gaius offered, his voice soft.

The young man shook his head.

"I… I couldn't tell."

Gaius swallowed, nodding.

"What is your name?" Gaius said, after another pause.

"Carac, sir."

Gaius nodded, looking back over the unrecognisable figure, the feature that presented as a face.

"I'll look after him. Let you know if anything changes."

Gaius smiled encouragingly at him, and the boy finally turned and fled.

And then there were only two citadel guards left hovering behind him. Gaius sighed, and trundled towards them his arms held out to herd them towards the door.

"Out, now. Physicians and patients only; unless you can prove you've had fifteen years of apprenticeship under a fellow master physician, you must leave. I must work without interruption, and having _you_ watching my every movement will not suffice. Now, out! You can watch the door to my chambers from the other side to ensure I do not leave house arrest; there is only one exit. Now, leave!"

And with that, he had baked the two guards through the open door and shut it in their faces.

Finally alone, Gaius turned back to face his patient, knowing the real work started now.

* * *

Okay, I'm sorry that there isn't actually any new material here. I'm trying to work on formatting the story, and whilst I usually do 2-2.5K chapters, this felt necessary. Please, if you have an opinion on this, let me know.

As you might recognise, I've actually split up the last chapter into two, just to segregate the Gaius centric part and the events in the courtyard. I wasn't sure if that first section was putting people off, but this story really is about the arrival of the Burnt Man, and the events unfolding around him.

**PLEASE READ:** It is quite likely that there will not be another new chapter for quite a while. I have been battling getting this written whilst we prepare to move house and relocate, but now things are getting to those very final weeks, and I'm probably going to find my time and energies caught up with the events of leaving this whole area that I grew up in. The house we are moving to is old, and needs some renovation, so it may be a couple of months before I am at a stage where I can begin to work again.

**PLEASE do not let me forget this story. PLEASE do not let me abandon it.** I have been working on it for two years, I can't fall at the last hurdle now.


	5. Chapter Four: The Physician At Work

DISCLAMER: I am NOT a doctor. Whilst I did some research for accuracy, IF YOU GET BURNED, SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE. If you're interested in using some herbal remedies IN ADDITION to conventional medicine, RESEARCH it fully beforehand, and seek medical approval before ever using anything.

Sorry for the ridiculous delay in posting whilst we moved to the other end of the country. I promised I'd never abandon this story, and I intend to honour that. **It is important that you please read ****all ****authors notes in this chapter **(references are optional)**.** Thank you to everyone who has kept reading, and kept following.

Please note- this chapter deals with some pretty horrific injuries, and is designed to be hard-hitting and heart wrenching. It is NOT gory, but is likely to be disturbing to readers "of a nervous disposition".

* * *

_Merlin has just been arrested after performing life-saving healing magic, and carried away right in front of Gaius. Emotionally raw, Leon has sent Gaius to his quarters with a guard escort to rest—when the physician is intercepted. A man has just appeared in the central courtyard in a massive burst of flames. Somehow he is still alive. Somehow, Gaius knows he must put his emotions to one side in order to help him._

_Gaius orders the guards to carry the severely injured man to his quarters- and then banishes them as he begins his work._

* * *

Gaius sighed as the low mumble of voices sounded from just behind his door; the citadel guards no doubt deciding to stand watch behind it. He knew they wouldn't leave him be completely, but at least for the time being he was alone. Alone with another man who no doubt did not have very long to live. But alone all the same, left to collect his thoughts as he worked to make the unknown male's last moments as comfortable as possible. Able to distract his mind from some of the crushing grief now filling his soul.

He knew there was little he could do for the man, but whatever he could do would be more than enough considering the pain that he must have gone through; must still be enduring. With the proper light that his lanterns provided he could see much more clearly the extent of the damage. He tried not to think about the actual circumstances that had led to this man's injuries- any thoughts of burning a man alive only pulled Merlin's possible fate into his mind, and he just couldn't deal with the thoughts that that boy might have this man's agonising fate in his future.

Gaius leaned in to inspect his wounds closely, cringing as the acrid smell of burnt flesh overwhelmed him. He knew that the quicker one grew accustomed to a horrifying scent, the faster one no longer registered it. The knowledge did nothing to ease his discomfort, seemed to be stable for now- completely unconscious, Gaius realised thankfully, and was at least for now breathing well for himself. The boy was even the same physical stature as Merlin. Looking over him carefully, Gaius saw that most of the burns were isolated to his lower body- his legs were completely ravaged, and for the most part his upper body was just soot blackened- however there were still vast sweeps and patches of warped flesh already exposed over his chest and arms. Gaius took a blade and began cutting away the decimated clothing. Piece by piece the remaining fabric came away from the narrow torso to reveal some light burns, but mostly just surface deep, unlike those which covered his legs and hands. Gaius tried not to breathe as in front of him he saw Merlin's torso revealed under the blackened cloth. There were too many countless skinny young men out there, it was just a coincidence that one so closely resembling Merlin had been taken to him under such horrific circumstances.

Peeling the partially consumed fabric off the boy's legs and thighs, he could see that some of the skin was uneerily red, the heat pulsating from within the flesh that was ruined, whilst other, more worrying areas had gone completely ghostly white. Wraithlike, the remnants of skin that once had been. Skin that had no substance, no sensation; skin that functioned no more.

Gaius sighed and looked down at the man. He understood enough of his arrival to agree that it wasn't natural, there had to have been some sort of magical element for him to have appeared in a whirl of flames, and yet he couldn't shake the unnerving belief that the guard's exuberant announcements of torture and everything else were just that of an excitable adolescent mind.

The first thing Gaius knew he needed to do was to ease the man's suffering a little, before he could make a start on trying to tend to his wounds.

He doubled back to a darkened archway of shelves, fumbling around various vials just above head height until he extracted four or five, reviewing them under the close scrutiny of his bare eye before returning half and retrieving some more. _Belladonna tincture; Henbane & Mandrake anaesthetic; Bolognese sedative (Poppy, Mandrake & Vinegar); Belladonna & Valerian; Poppy Extract (Opium); Hop vine seed oil._ Small glass vials clinking and scraping against each other in his tight grip, Gaius set the sedatives down on the workbench before returning to the stacks of medicinal ingredients.

He retrieved several more bottles and containers, taking them to the large work table and mixing various dried herbs and flowers with a small amount of water, and grinding the resulting paste with the pestle and mortar. Comfrey and calendula, lavender, which seemed to calm the skin and mind. Honey, for binding and staving off infection. Also a compress of dilute vinegar, to clean the skin. Age old remedies for the treatment of burns and traumas, elixirs which the skilled physician had developed in efficiency and potency, drawing on decades of experience and centuries of well-recognised thought and medical understanding; though Gaius feared it would not be enough.

Every now and again he'd glance over at his patient, training his eye on the slow rise and fall of his chest before continuing with his work. He retrieved another pot of dried flower-heads before swapping it with a tinctured version. With the pastes finally mixed to his satisfaction in various beakers and containers, he retrieved a basket of clean fabric strips and began lowering them one by one into a pungent bowl of medicine. He continued until there were at least two score left soaking, and moved them over the hearth. Taking a deep breath, he gathered himself before he himself gathered the remaining preparations and returned to his patient's side. Lining up the various balms and ointments on the little table that stood next to the small cot, Gaius stared into the face of the young man.

He looked so much like Merlin.

Because he was Merlin.

He was- Merlin.

Gaius knew he wasn't seeing fantasy; he knew no longer was he imagining his young charge's identity over that of a stranger who had somehow succumbed to this terrible fate.

With a jerky, slightly shuddering motion, he cradled the back of the boys head, and gently lifted it with a haltering breath. His other hand reached out and grasped the small vile standing on the edge of the small treatment table; uncorking it one-handed, he raised the tiny bottle to the blackened lips and tipped the contents into his mouth. The thin, slightly acrid liquid seemed to sit languidly over his mouth an gums, coating them lazily, slowly draining to the back of the throat. A moment later, the neck of a water bladder was pressed against the lips, and a small dribble of the contents was tipped in. Gaius plied two fingers against the base of his throat and forced him to swallow. With a dull _clink_ the small vile was discarded upon the table, its label in tiny cursive showing briefly before it tipped and gently rolled to a dull stop against one of the large bowls.

_Belladonna & Valerian (Sedative). High potency._

The boy was Merlin. And no matter how logic or reason screamed at him that his Merlin had only just been arrested an hour ago, that at this moment he could only be sitting in the dungeons right now, this boy lying in front of him _was Merlin_. He had known the boy he had housed and looked after like a father for over three years. Had cared for him when he was ill or injured; had nurtured him and schooled him. Had helped him develop his magic and solaced him when he had been overcome by it. The boy lying before him was Merlin. No matter what logic or possibility dictated, Gaius knew his boy's face, whether it be drenched in sweat, water, horse manure, pain, glee, or desperation. Gaius knew, the young man before him was Merlin- but he also knew that this boy was not _his_ Merlin.

His Merlin was still sitting in a cell right now, awaiting whatever fate was apparently pre-ordained for him. And yet, Merlin was here.

And through the impossibility of this precise predicament, beyond the doubt of logic and reason, Gaius knew unequivocally that he was right. Because there was only one overwhelming explanation. _Magic was involved. _And if magic was involved, then so, inevitably, was Merlin.

_It was Merlin._

_It was Merlin. Dear gods…_

Gaius needed to let his mind shut down. There was a dying man in front of him; _it was Merlin, dear gods-_ He needed to help him, ease his pain, ease his injuries; _Merlin's injuries. _He needed to be able to concentrate and do his job to ease his suffering. He needed to help, he couldn't think about his identity, he needed to do his job and help him. He needed shut down.

Gaius needed to be the physician.

The physician needed to help his patient.

He cautiously took hold of one of the limp black wrists, careful to avoid touching too much of the wrecked flesh as possible as he raised it off of the cot. He slid a large, empty bowl under where it had been laying and reached out to pull another closer to him on the small table, its contents slopping slightly as it drew to a halt. He dipped a clean rag into the bowl, and carefully let the dilute contents dribble and run over the arm and hand and trickle down into container below. He brought the cloth up again and carefully as he could, gently brushed the dirt and debris off of the skin. Working quickly and efficiently, he cleaned the arm and hand, rotating the wrist round in his deft grip to access the underside, gingerly brushing the rag against the surface of each lithe finger. Then, sliding the collecting bowl to the ground, Gaius began to coat the most severely affected areas with one of the thick pastes. He coated the entire back surface of the hand and forearm. Gently lowering the finished limb back down to the cot, Gaius let out a cold sigh before reaching out towards the other arm, and lifted the large collecting bowl below it. He began again.

The young grounds guard had been right- there had been magic involved with his arrival, and yes, to a certain degree his injuries, but Gaius knew they were not magically inflicted. No, the burns were the result of prolonged exposure to fire. The burns were malicious, certainly, but they weren't the result of magic. No, these were the burns of those condemned _for_ magic.

Still, suspicions were only suspicions, despite how likely they may be. Gaius was a man of science, a man of fact, and the fact was he still needed to clean and treat Merlin's legs, and that was before he could even consider whether or not the removal of the most damaged areas would give him a more likely chance at survival. Gaius felt his throat constrict against a heavy swell of emotion. Amputations* were just as viable to kill as the burns; it was simply a matter of weighing up the options of what would keep him alive the longest. It was a matter giving Merlin the time he needed to complete what he was sent here to do.

Running the vinegar solution over his ravaged legs, Gaius tried to hold on to the hope that whatever reason Merlin had found himself here; whatever reason he had inadvertently subjected Gaius to the vision of this nightmare, he would somehow be able to avert this fate. He couldn't live to see this happen. He couldn't live to stand there in the central courtyard as Uther proclaimed him a sorcerer. As Uther condemned him and set him alight. Gaius couldn't stand to watch as the boy he had raised for three years died in agony. He couldn't live to stand witness and watch it happen.

Gaius brushed angrily at his face as he suddenly felt it dampen. He wouldn't tolerate tears; they were not his to fall, not after what had happened to the man below him. Plunging the cleaning rag back into the basin again, he dragged it over the last bit of flesh remaining and dumped it back into the basin, it's task finally finished.

He turned his back to the patient, closing his eyes and breathing deeply as the seconds washed over him. Not turning far enough to let the young man enter his vision, Gaius picked up the two bowls of now considerably dirtied vinegar water and carried them over to the far end of the room. He set them down a few feet from the door; waste water to throw away. And then, dutifully, returned to cover Merlin's other arm and hand in the sweet-smelling paste. He did not register how long it took to complete.

When he was finally finished, Gaius returned to the table of tinctures and preparations, collecting some more and depositing them again onto the tiny patient-side table. The bowl of infused bandages which had been set to strengthen over the fire was now sitting on the great flagstones, cooling. Gaius had no recollection of moving it, however the infusion was strong in colour and quite cool to the touch. Cold; it had had hours to infuse and more to lose the heat of the hearth. Numbly, Gaius moved it across to the centre of the tiny bedside table.

Lifting one of the bandages out of the medicinal bowel, he gently draped it lengthways over the calf and ankle. The ointment was rich and pungent; it would serve to ward off infection and dull some of the screaming sensations the fire had left intact, whilst the fabric also made a poor, somewhat rudimentary substitute for the flesh which had lost its integrity. Gaius knew it would never be enough, but it was the best he could offer. There was just too much dead tissue which would never recover. Too much dead tissue to poison the rest of the body.

He retrieved another fabric strip, and laid it down beside the first, slightly overlapping it, spreading out the edges so it adhered to the skin. And then he continued with a third, fourth, fifth, lifting the crippled limb up in the air to access the underside. The last strip was longer; starting where the others had begun, Gaius carefully wound the material round the calf,the fabric quickly travelling down over the bandaged flesh and wrapping over the ankle, trapping the other strips within.

By the time he had finished, Gaius realised that the patch of sky outside his window had begun to lighten, a dim light already filtering across into his room. He returned the bowl to the main work table and allowed himself a few moments to breathe. And to think. He had finished the major treatments he needed to do, any succeeding ones could wait—or needed to. But there was something else he needed to do. Something he needed to know.

Gaius replaced a few clean bandages to soak in the remaining liquid then cautiously made his way back to his patient. He found himself lowering himself into his seat, staring at the man in front of him. What he had thought; had suspected…? He carefully placed his hands on Merlin's shoulder and hip. With the deft skill of his years, the physician rolled him slightly to expose his back. And what he saw confirmed his darkest suspicions.

There was barely any damage to Merlin's back. In fact, running down the centre of the ugly, stained tunic hanging off his shoulders was a wide strip lighter than the rest of the fabric, exposing the vaguely sickening mixture of browns and greys of the material. A void. From the fire damage, from the soot. It was the strip from where the great pole had rested against the boy's back; the pole which he had been tied to as he had been burnt at the stake.

It was an execution. A formal execution by fire.

* * *

DISCLAMER: I am NOT a doctor. IF YOU GET BURNED, SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE. Don't use the material in this story as a guide for self-treatment.

RESEARCH FULLY if interested in herbal remedies, and only use IN ADDITION to conventional medicine. Seek medical approval before use.

* Amputation: Please note- I had to say it, as amputation was a viable option at those times, being that these types of severe injuries would so often have led to death, however I just want to reassure readers that there will be no horrific removal of limbs or anything else. **This chapter is by far the most horrific and graphically real that the entire story will contain.** There will be a reduced continuation of Merlin's treatments in upcoming chapters, but **there will be no obscene medical acts coming up in the future.**

I also did a hell of a lot of research into medieval medicine and the types of remedies and herbs which they would have used. I have taken a few liberties, as I do not have Gaius' extensive knowledge of what treatments and ingredients would be more suited to different/specific severities of wounds, but for the most part, it is realistic. And incredibly, many of these herbal treatments are still used today. (Please note- in modern medicine it is generally advised **never** **to cover large burns in any creams, pastes or oils**. Wrap in **cling-film** (to prevent air & germs reaching it) and SEEK MEDICAL HELP. With **minor burns, cool immediately under running water** for 20 min. (Know you probably know this, but I have to state it.)

References (optional to read):

I did quite a bit of research into various medieval and herbal medicines and plants, below are some of those which I found most useful and have most strongly used.

General information/ compendiums:

WWW _dot _quantal _dot _demon /saga/ooc/herbs _dot _html - absolutely brilliant compendium of medieval herbs and their uses (including quick key- painkillers/poisons, burns treatment, fractures, cure-all, etc). Also includes background information as to how concoctions were mixed, and popular types of concoctions and their uses. Extremely useful for any medical-based Merlin/medieval fics.

WWW _dot_ tbyil _dot_ com /burns _dot_ html - Home and Herbal Remedies- Burns. Exceptionally interesting, very informative. Modern information on the basis of age-old knowledge.

Specific Herbs:

Wikipedia: wiki/Belladonna_(plant)

Wikipedia: wiki/Valerian_(herb)

herbs _dot_ lovetoknow _dot_ com _slash_ Calendula_Recipes

herbs _dot_ lovetoknow _dot_ com _slash _Benefits_of_St._John's_Wort

herbs _dot_ lovetoknow _dot_ com _slash _comfrey-remedies


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